Volleyball
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Facts about volleyball

We found 20 facts about volleyball

Point, set, match

This fairly young sport has gained tremendous popularity over several decades. It originated in the USA from where it spread around the world in the first half of the 20th century. It is the fifth most popular team sport, and the number of volleyball fans is 900 million people.

Volleyball
1
The origins of volleyball can be traced back to 1895, when the director of physical education at the YMCA, William George Morgan, proposed the creation of a new game, which he called Mintonette.

Ideas for this first version of volleyball were taken from a number of games such as tennis, basketball, and handball.

2
According to the idea, it was to be a sport that required effort but less effort than at least basketball.

It was intended for slightly older players who didn’t necessarily want to pour out their blood and sweat.

3
The first demonstration match of the new sport took place on 9th February 1895, at the YMCA gymnasium in Holyoke, Massachusetts.
4
The Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) was established on 18-20 April 1947.

It is responsible for the development and coordination of volleyball worldwide. On the day of its establishment, it affiliated with 14 national federations (exclusively national). As of 2021, there are 222 federations affiliated with the FIVB.

5
The first volleyball games were conducted using a bladder taken out of a basketball.

It was one too light and moved too slowly so attempts were made to use basketballs for this purpose. These, in turn, were too heavy for volleyball.

6
In 1900, William George Morgan approached A.G. Spalding & Bros. to produce a ball suitable for volleyball.

Three designs were created. The first was a latex bladder made from a material resembling a bicycle tire, the second was a bladder covered with a cotton gauze-like fabric, and the third was a bladder covered with a leather layer. The third solution proved satisfactory, and modern mesh balls have not changed significantly since then.

7
For more than a century, the volleyball consisted of eighteen leather panels sewn together.

This design only changed in 2008, when Mikasa prepared a ball consisting of eight panels. This solution increased the ball’s grip on players’ hands and increased the accuracy of plays. The ball made its debut at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

8
The volleyball team deploys six players on the court.

Only three players in net positions can jump and hit or block near the net. The players move one position clockwise each time the team receives a serve from an opponent.

9
The player who is not allowed to attack the opponent’s field is the Libero.

He has a shirt of a different color than the rest of the team and his activity is limited to accepting a play and defense. The position of libero was introduced only in 1998 to diversify the games. The debut of players in this position took place at the 1998 men’s and women’s world championships in Japan.

10
A standard volleyball is size 5 and is slightly smaller than a soccer ball.

It has a circumference of 65 to 67 cm, a weight of 260 to 280 g, and a pressure of 4.3 to 4.6 psi. It can be made of natural or synthetic leather and has a smooth surface.

11
The volleyball court is a rectangle measuring 18 by 9 meters.

It is surrounded by a free zone, which must be a minimum of 3 meters and, in the case of FIVB competitions, 8 m behind the end lines and 5 m behind the sidelines.

In the middle of the court is a net, the edge of which is suspended at a height of 243 cm (in men’s competitions) and 224 cm (in women’s competitions).

12
The men’s volleyball world championship was first held in 1949.

The USSR team has the most victories (six).

13
The women’s volleyball world championships were first held in 1952.

The USSR team has the most victories, five, and, as Russia, two.

14
Indoor volleyball has been an Olympic discipline since 1964.

It was introduced at the Tokyo Games. Among men, the gold medal was won by the USSR national team, and among women by Japan.

15
During a set, a team can make six changes.

Players from the initial setting after the change may return to the court but only in place of their setting.

16
Beach volleyball originated on Waikiki Beach in Hawaii in 1915.

It gained popularity in the US in the 1930s during the Great Depression, probably due to the low costs associated with hosting the games. The first professional competition in the sport was played in California in 1976.

17
A beach volleyball court is slightly smaller than an indoor volleyball court.

It measures 16 by 8 meters and the free zone is 3 meters from each edge of the court. The height of the suspended net is identical to that of indoor volleyball-243 cm (for men’s competition) and 224 cm (for women’s competition).

18
The beach volleyball is slightly larger.

Its dimensions are 66 to 68 cm in circumference, its weight is 260 to 280 g and its pressure is 2.5 to 3.2 psi. These balls also have a less smooth surface than their indoor counterparts.

19
Beach volleyball was introduced to Olympic competition at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
20
Although the seated volleyball variant was invented for people with disabilities, it is also practiced by people without disabilities.

The court for sitting volleyball is 10 meters by 6 meters and the net is suspended at a height of 115 cm (men) and 105 cm (women). The discipline made its debut at the 1980 Paralympics.

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